


what you can stand to lose

by toque



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Gen, M/M, but mostly shenanigans, implied future rex/anakin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-22
Updated: 2020-09-22
Packaged: 2021-03-07 23:13:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 933
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26605804
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/toque/pseuds/toque
Summary: Gambling is a dangerous pastime.
Relationships: CT-7567 | Rex/Anakin Skywalker, Padmé Amidala & Anakin Skywalker
Comments: 10
Kudos: 95





	what you can stand to lose

**Author's Note:**

  * For [TheAceApples](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheAceApples/gifts).



> so TheAceApples has a post on tumblr that reads something like "what if padme gambled away anakin's hand in marriage."
> 
> one brief conversation and slight miscommunication later...

“If the vode can’t use credits, we shouldn’t either, Ani.”

“But why are _you_ gambling with _my_ limbs?”

“Limb, singular. It’s your own fault for not thinking the payment system through before inviting me.” Padmé had a better sabaac face than Anakin, and he broke first, grinning.

Ahsoka giggles next to Anakin, and he sets his cards in his lap so he can detach his hand. Tossing it in the pot, it lands on the other contraband deemed worthy of betting on and he wonders, “How do you expect me to keep playing with only one hand?”

“Come sit over here and I’ll put your cards down for you.”

Anakin laughs, shifting closer to her. “You’d better win it back for me.”

Across from them, Rex raises an eyebrow and Anakin realizes he’d just admitted to having a shitty...hand. Fuck. He’d blame it on the alcohol.

“No wonder the Senator has to gamble for you, General.”

Anakin flushes and before he even turns to Padmé he knows that there's a spark of calculation in her eye. Slow horror creeps over him as she grins toothily.

When it’s her turn to play, she folds.

Anakin’s hand is, as he’d accidentally announced, utter _osik_ and he watches with growing panic as the rest of their small table follows Padmé’s lead. He stares at his padawan, thinking _surely not_ only to get Ahsoka’s best innocent face as she puts her cards down.

Anakin will never trust any of these people again.

He watches Rex rake in the pot, overflowing with various IOUs and KP avoidance vouchers—oh and his hand. In his tipsy frame of mind he can almost imagine it waving goodbye.

* * *

“General.”

Anakin turned away from the sight of Rex lugging his winnings out of Padmé’s living room to see a slightly unsteady Hardcase standing...closer than he was expecting.

“Yeah Hardcase?”

“Do you remember the bet you made with Fives and Echo the last time you got kidnapped?” Hardcase was trying to whisper, but alcohol had a noticeable effect on his volume control. Anakin noticed that Fives had tuned in at his name, and that his expression transformed from slight confusion into ‘youngling on Lifeday’ after Hardcase’s words sunk in.

It took Anakin a moment longer, but the conversation came back to him.

“Oh. _Yes.”_ His expression must have been truly something because his candidate for the next round of ARC training took a step back. Anakin tried to rein himself back in, blinking a few times and leaning forwards. “If you promise to grab a holorecorder I’ll let you come with.”

Hardcase grinned. “That’s exactly what I was hoping you’d say, sir.”

Anakin waved off the title. “If we’re going to piss off my Captain it’s my final request that you call me Anakin.”

The trooper winced and Anakin thought it may have been a mistake to mention Rex getting mad, but Hardcase rallied and nodded. “Anakin. Alright. Cap’s staying onboard the _Resolute,_ so we can just follow him up.”

Anakin nodded, already plotting out the route from Padmé’s apartment to the barracks, where they could grab a shuttle with the right clearance. “Fives!”

“Yeah?”

“Are you coming?”

* * *

One detour to the Temple later, a tipsy Jedi Knight and two smashed troopers took a shuttle up to the _Resolute_.

With an oversized robe over his tunics, no one could tell that Anakin was missing an arm. He had a moment of envy for Fives and Hardcase’s helmets, their amusement clear to him in the Force but professional and composed to a casual observer compared to his trembling shoulders as he tried not to burst out laughing. They made it to Rex’s cabin without a hitch, and Anakin turned to Hardcase and nodded.

He waited until Hardcase gave him the all clear, then fiddled with the small device he was holding.

The bet Hardcase had reminded him of was after the adventure with Hondo and his crew. Echo had offhandedly mentioned that it might be useful to bring a small droid with him to sneak out of a cell and unlock it.

Anakin had declared that he didn’t need anything other than his hand.

Three days later, he’d had his modifications. So far, he hadn’t needed to use them, and only the troopers who had been there for the original conversation knew what he’d done to his mech hand.

The controller in his left hand lit up, and he grinned. “Signal’s strong.”

Behind him, he heard Fives snicker quietly.

Reaching out in the Force, Anakin tapped out a series of commands. Hopefully Rex had left his hand on a flat surface.

It only took a few moments before he got confirmation from the controller that there was full range of movement. “It’s working.” He’d poured enough sweat, blood, and tears into that hand that he could practically see it, spidery fingers tapping along the surface of wherever it had been placed and dragging the rest of the arm along.

The controller in his hand let out a small _beep_ as the finger sensors encountered a new texture, and Anakin frowned. He let it know that it should proceed crawling forward, and then the controller flashed again. 

Heat.

Anakin’s eyes widened. _There was no way he could be so lucky._

Giggling, he pressed the key that commanded his hand to _grab._

The shriek that followed would have done five-year-olds proud.

“SKYWALKER!”

Anakin let out a cackle, grabbing Hardcase and Fives and booking it down the hallway, enhancing their speed with the Force. They were out of the residential block before Rex’s door opened.


End file.
